SFA reiterates ban on unhealthy snacks in schools


IV Report

KARACHI: The Sindh Food Authority (SFA) has reminded the school education and college education departments of Sindh of a 2018 notification banning the sale of soft drinks, energy drinks, and coloured, flavored snacks within and around educational institutions across the province.

According to a source in the provincial food watchdog, letters on the subject of consumption of reported harmful drinks and snacks among students at schools and colleges have been sent earlier too, but to no avail.

“Hierarchies in SFA have decided now to get the restriction notification enforced in letter and spirit in the larger interest of students’ health,” an official said, sharing the latest round of intimation and awareness will be followed by on-ground actions, including imposition of penalties or closure of canteen and carts found indulged in the sale of unwanted eatable to students.

The SFA Director General Asif Jan Siddiqi, in his letter of April 10 to secretaries of the two education departments, has informed that SFA is committed to availability of safe, hygienic and healthy foods for the population across Sindh.

The letter further stated that food items like carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, papad (fried and unpacked), colored, flavored snacks or chips were banned in canteen of schools and colleges on the recommendation of SFA Scientific Panel.

The SFA engaged scientists believed the said eatable and drinkable items should not be allowed to student communities, in view of their age group, and high fat, higher sugar and high salt these foods contain.

SFA underscored that sale of the said banned eatable and drinks continue unabated both within and outside premises of educational institutions, posing serious health risks to students and other consumers.

SFA has moved the government departmental secretaries again for issuance of directives to both public and private schools and colleges towards a strict compliance.

However, SFA has not set any timeline for a crack-down against the violating canteen and food carts or vendors.

In the meantime, a keen observer has noted that any potential follow up of the SFA’s letter and notification in question would be seen after the summer vacations in schools, provided the whistle blowers remained steadfast and concerned about the “health of school-goers”.

With an uninterrupted 23-year career in daily journalism (1991-2013), the author/editor of this blog currently serves as Editor of Social Track, a weekly newspaper focused on social sectors, based in Karachi. Holding a master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Karachi (1990), his professional experience includes roles as senior reporter at Daily Dawn, Karachi (May 2001-August 2013) and Chief Reporter at The News International, Karachi (April 1991-May 2001). He has a strong background in development journalism, he has an extensive portfolio of news stories, analytical reports and features covering a wide range of sectors. He has had the privilege of covering numerous high-profile figures, including Pakistani presidents, prime ministers, army chiefs, foreign dignitaries, and VVIPs and attending conferences and workshops abroad. He began his journalism career in the early 1980s. Throughout his career, he has received several national awards from government and private organisations. He has contributed to various radio and TV/channel broadcasts and has also served as a trainer at workshops in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, focused on training journalists.

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